With the 14th on Sunday, today is the second day of Valentines Week and greeting card companies and news wires have decided that today is the day to propose to your sweetheart.
It’s still early, so you have time to run down to your local jeweler or find a creative way to propose before midnight.
You probably won’t have time to surprise your girlfriend in Paris or go to a sandy beach in Miami or plan a trip to a waterfall, like our Proposal of the Week contestants, but you can still get romantic!
Where did you meet? Where was your first date? Where did you first say, “I love you”? If you’re near one of these firsts, not only does it have a personal touch, it shows that you are sentimental. You’ve built memories with this person and you want to build the rest of your lives together.
So, for those of you who haven’t proposed already, why not today?
If you still need more time, there are two more Proposal Days this year, on March 20th and on September 22nd! And if you still need ideas, there are professional services and books (see below) available!
The Fiance of the Month portrays a FICTIONAL couple’s proposal story.
Enjoy this month’s pictorial with our models: Ryan & Amy!
A Valentine’s Surprise
My girlfriend and I have been dating for three years. Not only is it our Valentine’s Day, it’s also our anniversary. We’ve talked about marriage a lot and I know she’s been expecting me to propose today.
The thing is I wanted it to be a surprise. So after a romantic dinner and a walk on the beach, we returned home without the mention of marriage. I know she’s disappointed right now, but that’s all a part of my plan.
As much as we’d like to be able to, most of us can’t afford a $5,000 wedding gown. But that doesn’t mean you have to slum it on your big day. Here are some ideas to make you look fabulous without going over your budget!
No one will even notice your dress if you wear this! Image by Kevin H. via Flickr
1. Comfort beats cost
You need to feel amazing in your dress. Remember that designer, Reem Acra said it’s important to match your personality to your dress. Once you find something you’ll be comfortable in, you know it fits into your lifestyle.
Even though it might not be made from most expensive fabrics in the world, you can still feel great in your gown.
2. Splurge on an accessory for a little extra bling.
A lot of costume jewelry looks like the real thing these days. Adding something shiny will make you sparkle. Just don’t overdo it with accessories. Keep in mind, that you can rent a piece of jewelry (but you have to be careful!)
Put your trust in tomorrow's Vera Wang. Image via Wikipedia
3. Find a fashion student or new designer to make a dress for you.
How great would it be to wear a one of a kind gown? Check with nearby fashion schools or the local fabric store (the employees might have a lead on a young designer). You’ll feel like a star with a dress made especially for you, the designer will love the experience they’ll gain from making your dress. And it’ll be a lot cheaper.
P.S. If you invite your designer to the wedding and there’s an open bar, it might cut your costs even more since young people love free booze!
4. Make your bridesmaids look really ugly.
Just kidding. Never do this. The ladies standing next to you during the ceremony represent you. If you have ugly-looking friends, people will assume that you are a loser. And there will be payback when they get married.
Thank your girlfriends by picking dresses that look good for their body shapes and spending the money on makeup and hair. It will give them that amazing feeling to stand up straight and be proud to be standing next to you.
Joe and Nicole won last week’s inaugural Proposal of the Week Contest. This week they face off against two new couples. Will a new couple knock them out of the competition or will they defend their title? You decide.
Remember, that you can vote once a day, so come back and show your love to your favorite couple. The contest closes at 12:05am PST on Friday.
1. Joe Kilgallon & Nicole Lappe
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Date: August 17, 2008
Joe & Nicole
Joe writes:
I’m a comedian, born and raised in Chicago. I love a good joke and the Chicago Cubs. I also love Nicole, my high school sweetheart.
I decided to propose to her at sunset during vacation in Miami. On the afternoon of the big day, my uncle told us that he bought us tickets to see a Cubs game that night. If I turned them down, Nicole would have known that something was up.
By the time the game was over, sunset had come and gone. We went for a walk on the beach anyway. While she looked at the sky, I walked ahead and wrote something in the sand.
I asked Nicole to come over and see what I drew. She thought it was going to be a childish, inappropriate drawing since I had been doing that throughout the trip.
But when she came over, she saw that I had written, “Will you marry me?” in the sand.
She looked back at me and I was down on one knee. Stunned, she kept asking if it was for real. I may be immature in some ways, but I’d never make a joke like that.
We plan to marry in 2011.
2.Jeremy Caul & Jaime Imbeault
Location: Kekabeka Falls in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Date: November 6, 2009
Jeremy & Jaime
Jeremy writes:
Jaime, and I are students, living in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada. We’ve been together for almost two years now, and have lived together the whole time.
In October, my great-grandmother passed away, leaving me feeling like life was short. Since I love Jaime and was planning on proposing soon anyway, I decided to go out and get a ring. Once the ring was in my coat pocket, I knew I couldn’t wait.
Three days later, during the four-hour drive home for the funeral, we stopped at Kekabeka falls; a local falls just outside Thunder Bay. My excuse was that I needed to take some pictures for my photography class, which was partially true. We walked around the falls a while taking some pics, and it was the first beautiful, sunny day in a long stretch of rainy days – this is how I knew that today was the day.
I asked her to pose for a picture, leaning on the rail looking towards the falls with her back to me. I didn’t even take the picture but when I told her I was done, she turned around and I was on one knee with the ring box open in my hand. She didn’t even let me stand up to put the ring on! She was so excited that she immediately dropped to her knees to give me a hug and kiss, nearly knocking the ring out of her hand.
Today, we are happier than ever. We hope to graduate and begin working in three years time, and then we will have our wonderful wedding. The date we have just chosen is August 23, 2013 – which will be our 5 and a half year anniversary. I love my wife-to-be, and we plan on having a great, long, life together.
3. Elizabeth Henry-Hooker & Nick Farina
Location: Paris, France
Date: June 13, 2008
Nick & Elizabeth
Elizabeth writes:
I was in Paris for a semester doing study abroad, and was sad about spending my 25th birthday so far away from my boyfriend, Nick. The morning of my birthday, which happened to be a Friday, there was a knock at my door, and when I opened it, Nick was standing in the hall!
That evening, my friends and I got dressed up, planning to go to a jazz club. Instead we ended up at our favorite place, on the steps of the Sacre Coeur, drinking wine.
After watching the sunset, we moved to where we could see the Eiffel Tower light show, and as my friends watched, Nick pulled me close and said, “Do you want to know why I really came to Paris?” before dropping to one knee and pulling out a box. Inside was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. I started crying before he even asked the question! One of my roommates had brought a bottle of champagne, and another friend had brought pastries for dessert. We celebrated right there in the street! We even have pictures of the whole thing, since Nick had thought to warn a friend with a camera.
Now that you’ve read the stories, it’s your turn to weigh in! You can vote for your favorite story once a day, so remember to come back tomorrow!
Voting closes at 12:05 am (PST) on Friday, February 12th.
We’ll post the winner later that day!
He won the Super Bowl yesterday and is celebrating his anniversary today! It’s been a great couple of days for Drew Brees.
The New Orleans Saints QB married his college sweetheart Brittany Dudchecnko on this day in 2003. Though the couple may be picture perfect their union was less than stellar.
Brees met the blonde beauty on his 20th birthday. He was partying hard and got a little tipsy.
“I made a real fool of myself,” Brees said of their original meeting.
Luckily, six months later, they went on a group date to a movie and the Saint’s player redeemed himself!
Their love for each other extends through out the communities where they have lived. Together, they founded The Brees Dream Foundation the same year of their marriage and since then they have raised over 4.5 million towards cancer research and community rehabilitation projects in New Orleans, San Diego and Purdue.
Where shoes during your reception! Who knows where that floor has been! If you absolutely must where stilletos down the aisle simply bring a comfortable pair of shoes to change in to before you dance.
Every wedding I attend, I see, to my dismay, women of all ages running around and dancing with out their shoes. We can’t shop without our shoes on, we can’t go grocery shopping without our shoes on, we can’t even order fast food without our shoes on, so why is it that ladies get all dressed up and then take off their shoes? If you are over 8 years old, you have to keep them on.
Alas! You don’t have to go barefoot, girls! There is an old friend you may have forgotten: the flat.
Don’t wear heels if you can’t, flats come in all styles that will fit any wardrobe. If you can’t go without your tallest heels, then bring a pair of flats or sandals to wear towards the end of the evening.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful your pedi is, why get all dressed up just to run around with bare feet?
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